Importance

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Abstract

The invention is an elastomer device with a generally spherical shape for cleaning pipelines and has the ability to reduce in size for changes in pipe internal diameter due to wall thickness changes and provides a cleaning and scraping ability. In particular, the device has three dimensional geometric shapes radiating from the outside surface of a spherical core. The flex of the walls of the three dimensional geometric structure provides the movement to reduce the diameter of the device when encountering smaller internal diameters of heavy wall pipe. The interference fit of the oversize of the device's diameter, combined with the edges and outside surface of the three dimensional geometric structure, provides a sealing and scraping ability. The pattern of the geometric shape, the wall thickness of the walls forming the pattern, and depth of the cell created by the walls, are all critical to the performance of the device.

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First Claim